Where to go in March for warm weather

YesTrip editorial team · Updated: 11 October 2026

In short

Spring arrives in the south in March: Seville averages 20.6 °C by day, Málaga 19 °C – although March is one of the wettest months there. Reliably warm and dry are the Canary Islands (Gran Canaria 22.3 °C), Cape Verde and the Red Sea (Sharm el-Sheikh 26.9 °C). Dubai and Oman reach 28 to 29 °C, Bangkok already 33 °C.

Plan this trip now

Spring arrives in March – just often not in northern Europe. In the south, however, the trees are in blossom, terraces open up and days are almost as long as nights. Depending on the year, the Easter holidays fall at the end of March or in April. We looked at the weather of the Marches 2015 to 2024 for 20 destinations and show where it already feels like early summer and where you should still expect rain.

One surprise first: in Andalusia, the Algarve and Valencia, March is one of the wettest months of the year. Málaga averages 85 mm of rain, more than in December. That does not mean it rains all the time – but pack a rain jacket. If you want reliably dry weather, fly to the Canaries, Cape Verde or the Red Sea.

The table: 20 destinations in March

Destination	Day (avg. high)	Night (avg. low)	Rain per month	Flight from London
Bangkok	33.3 °C	25.8 °C	46 mm	approx. 11.5 h
Phuket	32.1 °C	25.6 °C	52 mm	approx. 13 h, one stop
Goa	31.8 °C	23.1 °C	9 mm	approx. 10 h, usually one stop
Luxor	29.5 °C	14.2 °C	1 mm	approx. 5.5 h
Oman (Muscat)	29.2 °C	21.3 °C	11 mm	approx. 7.5 h
Barbados	28.5 °C	23.9 °C	28 mm	approx. 8.5 h
Dubai	28.4 °C	18.2 °C	16 mm	approx. 7 h
Sharm el-Sheikh	26.9 °C	16.4 °C	4 mm	approx. 5 h
Hurghada	24.3 °C	16.6 °C	2 mm	approx. 5 h
Cape Verde (Sal)	24.3 °C	19.6 °C	1 mm	approx. 6 h
Marrakech	23.2 °C	8.7 °C	51 mm	approx. 3.5 h
Agadir	22.7 °C	13.9 °C	35 mm	approx. 4 h
Gran Canaria (Maspalomas)	22.3 °C	15.6 °C	24 mm	approx. 4.5 h
Tenerife (Santa Cruz)	20.6 °C	15.0 °C	26 mm	approx. 4.5 h
Seville	20.6 °C	9.6 °C	80 mm	approx. 2.5 h
Madeira (Funchal)	19.1 °C	13.9 °C	74 mm	approx. 4 h
Málaga	19.0 °C	11.3 °C	85 mm	approx. 3 h
Valencia	18.7 °C	9.4 °C	71 mm	approx. 2 h
Algarve (Faro)	18.0 °C	11.2 °C	71 mm	approx. 3 h
Lisbon	17.2 °C	10.3 °C	59 mm	approx. 2.5 h

Temperature and rain: average of the Marches 2015–2024 from the ERA5 reanalysis (via Open-Meteo), rounded. The values describe a grid cell of about 25 km and are often 1 to 2 degrees below what you measure on the beach. Flight times: typical direct flights, rounded.

Daytime high (bar) and night low (start of the line) in March

Rain in March, average 2015–2024

Average daytime high in March – Bangkok, Phuket, Goa, Barbados and Cape Verde are off the map

Lisbon 17.2°
Faro 18.0°
Seville 20.6°
Málaga 19.0°
Valencia 18.7°
Madeira 19.1°
Tenerife 20.6°
Gran Canaria 22.3°
Agadir 22.7°
Marrakech 23.2°
Hurghada 24.3°
Sharm el-Sheikh 26.9°
Luxor 29.5°
Dubai 28.4°
Muscat 29.2°

Base map: Natural Earth

Spring in Spain and Portugal: city breaks at 17 to 21 degrees

Seville is the warmest large city on the European mainland in our comparison in March: 20.6 °C by day, but only 9.6 °C at night. In spring the city's many orange trees blossom, and the gardens of the Alcázar are at their best. If Easter falls in March, you will see Semana Santa with its large processions – but then the city is full and hotels are booked up early.

**The orange tree courtyard of Seville Cathedral, seen from the Giralda**Photo: Jebulon, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

**Gardens of the Alcázar in Seville**Photo: Martinvl, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

**City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia**Photo: Choinowski, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

**Ponta da Piedade near Lagos on the Algarve**Photo: Jose A., CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Seville trip planDay by day, with map and tips

Málaga is just behind at 19 °C and milder at night. Valencia celebrates the Fallas in March, one of Spain's best-known festivals, with huge figures that are burned at the end – here too, book early; the dates are on the city's website. The Algarve and Lisbon feel like spring at 17 to 18 °C, which is ideal for walks along the cliffs.

Valencia trip planDay by day, with map and tips

Lisbon trip planDay by day, with map and tips

Reliably warm and dry: the Canaries, Cape Verde and Morocco

If you want guaranteed sun in March, fly a little further. Southern Gran Canaria averages 22.3 °C with 24 mm of rain, Tenerife 20.6 °C. Cape Verde remains the most reliable place in the Atlantic at 24.3 °C and 1 mm of rain. Madeira is much more changeable at 19 °C and 74 mm, but full of flowers in spring and good for walking along the levadas.

Mount Teide on Tenerife, the highest mountain in Spain · Photo: H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

In Morocco it gets noticeably warmer: Marrakech reaches 23 °C, but at 51 mm March is its wettest month of the year, and nights drop to 9 °C. Agadir by the sea stays much milder at night at almost 14 °C.

Egypt and the Gulf: the last pleasant weeks before the heat

On the Red Sea and in the Gulf, March is the transition to summer. Luxor already reaches 29.5 °C, and from April it is over 34 °C – so March is one of the last good times for visiting the temples. Sharm el-Sheikh reaches 26.9 °C, Hurghada 24.3 °C, with practically no rain.

Dubai (28.4 °C) and Oman (29.2 °C) are still pleasant in March, before temperatures pass 32 °C in April. For desert tours, wadis and city walks, March is the last really good month of the season.

Dunes of the Wahiba Sands in Oman · Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Dubai trip planDay by day, with map and tips

Long-haul: Thailand heats up, Goa and the Caribbean stay dry

In Bangkok the hottest time of the year begins in March: 33 °C by day and almost 26 °C at night. If you like heat, Thailand still has good beach weather, but on Phuket rainfall is already rising again to 52 mm. Goa stays very dry at 9 mm, and on Barbados March is one of the driest months of the year at 28 mm.

Planning the trip

If the Easter holidays fall in March, flights to the Mediterranean and Atlantic destinations quickly become expensive – compare several places with similar temperatures. A long weekend is enough for a city break in Spain or Portugal; for the Canaries, Cape Verde or the Red Sea, a week is worth it.

In YesTrip you enter your destination and dates and get a day-by-day plan with a map. There are ready-made city plans for Seville, Málaga, Valencia and Lisbon. Because March in the south can be changeable, the app shows you the weather for your travel days, and the packing list suggests a rain jacket or sun protection to match.

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Frequently asked questions

Where is it already warm in March?

Within a short flight, the warmest places in March are Luxor (29.5 °C by day), Sharm el-Sheikh (26.9 °C) and Cape Verde (24.3 °C). The Canary Islands reach around 21 to 22 °C, Seville 20.6 °C. Dubai and Oman reach 28 to 29 °C.

Where is the warmest place in Europe in March?

The Canary Islands: in southern Gran Canaria the average daytime high in March is 22.3 °C. On the European mainland, Seville is warmest at 20.6 °C, followed by Málaga at 19 °C.

Does it rain a lot in Andalusia in March?

More than many people expect. Málaga averages 85 mm of rain in March and Seville 80 mm – more than in the winter months of December to February. The rain usually comes in separate spells of low pressure, with sunny, spring-like days in between.

Where to go for sun at Easter?

In March it is dry and warm on Cape Verde (1 mm of rain, 24.3 °C), on the Red Sea (Hurghada 2 mm, Sharm el-Sheikh 4 mm) and on Gran Canaria (24 mm, 22.3 °C). For a city break with a feeling of spring, Seville, Málaga and Valencia offer just under 19 to 21 °C.

How were the numbers calculated?

We averaged the daily highs, lows and rainfall of the Marches 2015 to 2024 from the ERA5 reanalysis of the European Copernicus programme (retrieved via Open-Meteo). ERA5 works with a grid of about 25 km, so right on the coast it can be 1 to 2 degrees warmer.

Sources

Open-Meteo Historical Weather API (ERA5), average 2015–2024 – open-meteo.com
Copernicus ERA5 reanalysis (Hersbach et al. 2020) – cds.climate.copernicus.eu

Researched with AI support and checked by our editors. Prices, opening hours and weather can change – please check before you go. YesTrip is not a travel agency. Published: 11 October 2026.